I am my own foundation.

^{—Franz Fanon}

Dark throat, you made something happen:

Gully, maybe. Gullah

praise be

Mantilla maiden

down on her knees

Iron her skirts     Wash her vagina

Get thee behind her and zip up her back—

Me dijeron que me llamaban desde el pozo

Voces nocturnas pajariles

Cocodrilos granadinos

rococo y sensibles—

Odio lo que ardo

Harta en my sweater.

Odio lo que amo

Tecato en stilletto

Mwen ka mantje ou, doudou

Mwek ka mantje ou, tche mwen—

Llamo en staccato—

La pli ka vini

Sutil e imbecil—

La pli ka tonbe

Vini gade fidji nwaj-la

Mwen ka mantje ou, ti moun

Annou pa gade deye—

Ya nada fui asi

Labios ladrando—

Legacy light handled—

I've broken my teeth

against this language of yours.

My tongue

bleeds

nouns

at night

in a

fricative wind.